Album Stream: Foo Fighters Go Back To The Garage For ‘Wasting Light’

The [lastfm]Foo Fighters[/lastfm] are back. After a four year lapse in new material, most bands would be content with just releasing a new album. But Dave Grohl and co. aren’t like most bands, and they are celebrating their return with a bigger bang than most are even capable of. Last week, the band’s documentary Back And Forth hit theaters; today, their new record Wasting Light hits stores AND the band gives an exclusive Live On Letterman performance to celebrate. And finally, this Record Store Day the group is releasing a covers album, Medium Rare, on limited edition vinyl available only in shops. Wowza.

Where to begin, eh? Let’s start with the new record, Wasting Light. [lastfm]Foo Fighters[/lastfm] opted to do something different this go around by jumping right back to basics: they wrote and recorded the entire album in Dave Grohl‘s garage, first of all. Secondly, they did so using only analog equipment – no MacBooks necessary – and tape. If that wasn’t already a big step back to the ’90s, the band enlisted producer Butch Vig (the man behind Nevermind) to helm the sessions, invited ex-[lastfm]Nirvana[/lastfm] bassist Krist Novoselic and [lastfm]Husker Du[/lastfm]’s [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Bob Mould[/lastfm] to guest on a few songs, and brought back original Foos guitarist Pat Smear (who left the band after 1997’s The Colour And The Shape) to re-join the group. Cool. How’s the music?

In true Foo fashion, songs leap from quiet verses and tight guitar chugs to throat-tearing shouts and explosive chords that somehow maintain a semblance of a melody. Wasting Light sounds like the boys are still having fun together, but no zanyvideos are necessary to prove that this time. These songs are succinct heavy hitters, crammed with a sound so full and alive it’ll make any causal listener jump at learning this is the [lastfm]Foo Fighters[/lastfm]’ seventh studio album.

Of course, who is a casual listener of the Foos anyways? The band has already solidified themselves as one of the greatest, friendliest, and entertaining living rock bands of their generation. Just ask Johnny from NY: